Dark window tints: attention getters for police

Tuesday

Aug 1, 2017 at 12:01 AMAug 8, 2017 at 8:47 AM

By John Evosevic jevosevic@c-dh.net

Very dark automobile window tints may offer relief from the summer sun’s rays and a degree of anonymity, but can also attract unwanted attention from police departments and lighten one’s wallet more than anticipated.

Tennessee’s law regarding civilian vehicle window tints are specific in the following: Windshield non-reflective tints are permitted above the manufacturer’s AS1 line. Tint may not be applied to the windshield below the AS1 line or below five inches from the top of the windshield, whichever is less.

Front, side and rear windows must allow more than a total of 35 percent of light in.

Front and back side windows cannot have reflective metallic elements but are not restricted as to the colors of tints.

A sticker is required to indicate legal tinting and must be placed between the tinting film and the glass on the driver’s side window in the lower right corner. The sticker must include the installer’s business name and the legend “Complies with Tennessee Code Annotated, § 55-9-107.”

Medical exemptions for darker tints are available for motorists who have medical conditions which make them sensitive to ultraviolet light. The law reads in part:

“[A]ny person with a medical condition that is adversely affected by ultraviolet light may submit a statement to the commissioner from that person’s physician certifying that the person has a medical condition that requires reduction of light transmission in the windows of the person’s vehicle in excess of the standards established in subsection (a).”

According to the degree of tinting deemed appropriate, the motorist will be supplied a “certificate or decal, indicating the degree of exemption, to the applicant who shall display it in the motor vehicle.”

But some motorists have been observed with very dark, almost black tints which cover the entire windshield and all other windows. Some may be self-applied without awareness of being in violation.

Field Training Officer Thomas Goetz of the Spring Hill Police Department explained how a tint in violation is determined.

“It’s a small white box we slide over the glass. It has a digital screen on the front and gives you the light transmittance number. Obviously, if you hold it up and it says 20 percent, that’s how much light is getting through. Anything below 35 percent is going to be a ticket. In the State of Tennessee, 35 percent or higher is what the window tint has to be,” Goetz said.

Illegal tints seem to be becoming more popular.

“We’re seeing a lot more. And it’s not a window tint in particular, it’s a dark tint where you cannot see the occupants. A lot of them will double the tint. If they do it themselves, they’ll put on a layer of tint and put another layer over it. It’s almost as if it’s paint. You can’t see in. If you shine a flashlight in it, you can’t see in at all. If I can’t do that, they you can’t see out, especially at nighttime.

“You can’t tell if they’re wearing a seat belt or tell how many people are in the car. So when it’s that dark, that concerns us. Obviously, you want to make sure everybody is obeying the law and wearing their seat belt and that’s one of the biggest things — not being able to see if they’re safely buckled up or the occupants,” Goetz said.

The aforementioned medical exception allows tints as “dark as you want it, as long as you have that note from your doctor and carry that with you in your glove box.”

“If they stop you, it’s not a ticket. By law, they’re legal if you have a sensitivity to light,” Goetz said. “If it’s legally done, by the law, the installer will give them a receipt which has the make, model of the vehicle, the tag number and all that has to be kept in the glove box. So if I stop you and your window tested at 20 percent, by law they have to give you something that says it’s legal.

“If you don’t have that and you went outside of a licensed dealer, as a citizen, for anything less than 35 percent, most places aren’t going to do it. They’re having to find people who do it under the table.”

According to Officer Goetz, fines for illegal tints can run as much as $230.

“That’s in General Sessions court. If you see a city court judge, it’ll probably be around $138.” Goetz said.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.